


names or numbers, numbers or names

by M3zzaTh3M3z



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Names, Synesthesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-16 05:18:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18088181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/pseuds/M3zzaTh3M3z
Summary: In theory, Five doesn't mind that they've got numbers for names. What he minds is that the numbers are wrong.





	names or numbers, numbers or names

**Author's Note:**

> Number mixup now fixed!

Sometimes, the others complained they had been numbered, not named. They didn’t like it, the lack of individuality, the constant reminder they were far from an ordinary, loving family.

Five knew they’d got it wrong. They’d been numbered – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 – _and_ named – Number One, Number Two,  Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, Number Six and Number Seven. Unusual names to be sure, but Five was okay with that. They were unusual children. What he didn’t like was that their names were wrong.

Numbering them was okay. It made sense even, the six of them were a miniature army and numbers worked just as well as code-names when it came to organisation. It simplified things. How exactly they had been numbered was a subject of much discussion.

Six suggested it was in order of power-weirdness, except that didn’t make sense because little Seven had no powers at all.

Seven suggested it was in order of Dad’s favourites, but that didn’t work either because Five was certain Dad hated rebellious Four even more than the rest of them.

Five thought it was arbitrary, and so didn’t mind being 5, or Number One being 1, or Number Seven being 7.

He minded being called Five though, and calling 1 One and 7 Seven and the rest of them their names, because it just didn’t fit. Things should fit, he thought. It was important somehow.

1 was self-important, brass, distant, rude, but not as grown up as it thought. It was navy blue and in three dimensions.

Number One was sort of blue, so that was okay, but a lighter, pale blue. He was polite and hardworking and eager.

Number One and 1 were not the same at all, and Five couldn’t see how anyone could mix them up.  

2 was younger, vividly green, silly and bouncy but surprisingly good at what it did. Five wasn’t sure what exactly that was, but he knew it was good at it. That was reassuring.

Number Two was also green, a shade or two darker, but a very close match, so that at least didn’t bother Five about him. He was too serious though, not playful like his number. And very good at throwing knives. Not quite so reassuring.

3 was laid-back, quietly mocking, but usually helpful and easy to understand. It didn’t have a colour as clear as 1, but sometimes gave Five hints of yellow. He liked 2.

Number Three was loud and bright and giggly and confident and Five didn’t always like her that much. She was orange, close to yellow, but not close enough.

 

4 was sapphire blue, study, reliable, kindly.

Four was chaotic, hot pink, rebellion.

Putting them together gave Five a headache.

6 – quiet, sensible, mysterious.

That one fit.

7, however…

7 and Seven was the worst mix-up of all. 7 was powerful, a trickster, not easily contained unless conditions were exactly right. Every colour at once, a swirling rainbow vortex of magic. But Seven was, well, Seven. Small, timid, kind but kind of useless. Nice, but with no powers at all. No colour either, just pure blank white.

Five was the only one that fit the number. They were both bright, blood red. A sense of humour, if a strange one. Everywhere and nowhere all at once.

The others cheered when Mom said six of them were getting proper names, but Five shook his head. He already had a name, and it was right for him. He told her to give Seven one instead.

**Author's Note:**

> Wasn't originally going to post this because it didn't turn out as planned but then I thought maybe someone would enjoy anyway. I've got mild synesthesia so most of Five's associations are based off that :) always happy to chat in the comments! thanks for reading! 
> 
> ******
> 
> If you enjoyed this fic, you might want to check out my others. I have fics in the [Supernatural,](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=27) [ Osomatsu,](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=7048385) [ Ace Attorney, ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=1034737) [ Haikyuu,](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=758208) [ Portal, ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=83491) [ Boku No Hero Academia,](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=3828398) [The Umbrella Academy ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=29744003)and [Widdershins fandoms, ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/works?fandom_id=2511207) with more being added all the time. 
> 
> (ask in the comments if you'd like my tumblr, it's currently mezza-the-mez but has been changed before lol)


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